Vasco choose São Januário for Copa do Brasil quarter-finals

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·12 August 2026

Vasco choose São Januário for Copa do Brasil quarter-finals

Vasco has officially defined its home venue for the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals. The draw held by the CBF named Vitória as the opponent in the knockout bracket. The board confirmed that the first match will take place at São Januário stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, while the decisive return leg will be played at Barradão, in Salvador.

+ Matchup set! Vasco will face Vitória in the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals

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Vasco president spoke about the choice of venue

The decision on the venue was made after a direct meeting between the board, the coaching staff, and the squad players. Initially, president Pedrinho was considering the possibility of using the Maracanã to allow more fans to attend.

However, the preference of the players and coaching staff for the pitch at the Historic Hill prevailed, prioritizing the stadium’s sporting strength over the higher financial revenue that the Maracanã could generate.

The Vasco president stressed the project’s technical priority:

“Everyone knows my preference is for São Januário. But the Maracanã has also been a stage with tremendous energy and atmosphere, where we can also give more supporters the chance to attend. I don’t take revenue into account, I take performance into account. So I bring it to the coaching staff and the players, because the players are the ones who play, and together we’ll build toward making the best decision for this match.”

Thiago Mendes celebrates a goal at São Januário; players chose the venue – Photo: André Durão/ge

Positive track record and statistics at São Januário

The numbers compiled since the start of 2025 support the choice made by the Vasco board and players. At São Januário, the Cruz-Maltino side boasts a 58% success rate in league-format matches, with 20 wins, 11 draws, and 10 losses in 41 games at the venue. In knockout matches, the rate reaches 52%, with two wins and five draws in seven games, keeping the team unbeaten at home.

At the Maracanã, the sample from the same period shows lower results. In 14 matches played at the stadium, evenly split between league-format games and knockout ties, Vasco posted a 38% success rate in both categories. There were two wins, two draws, and three losses in league-format matches, with exactly the same record repeated in the knockout games. The superiority in the numbers reinforces the choice of São Januário to host the opening match of the national knockout tie.